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(No Model.)

T. S. DISSTON. CONVERTIBLE SKATE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

l THOMAS S. DISSTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF IONE-HALF TO ALBERT S. CARTER, OF SAME PLACE.

CONVERTIBLE SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,146, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed May 19, 1885. Serial No. 166,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THoMAs S. DissroN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Convertible Skates, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to construct an attachment whereby theroller-spindle and its bearings can be readily and securely attached tothe ordinary runner of an ice-skate, my invention consisting of certainnovel features of construction fully described and claimed hereinafter.L

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of an ice-skatewith my improved roller attachments, one of the latter being shown insection; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line l 2, Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3, a perspective View showingthe various parts of the attachment separated from each other.

A is the runner of an ordinary ice-skate, the sole-plate and theclamping devices of which may be constructed in any of the usual ways,as they form no part of my invention, the latter relating only to theroller attachments. Each of these attachments consists of a clamp, B,which as shown, is composed of a bent plate of metal, the plate being soshaped that after it is bent it will present opposite wings forembracing the runner A, the roller-spindle D and its bearings beingcontained within a central recess, a, of the clamp.

The clamp is secured to the runner of the skate by transverse bolts Fand nuts F', these bolts passing through openings in the clamp beneaththe runner of the skate, so that the clamp is secured to the runner byfriction only, the formation of bolt-holes or other openings through therunner being thus rendered unnecessary.

A supplementary bolt may pass through the clamp at a point above therunner, if desired; but this is not at all necessary.

One of the bolts F serves to secure in position a bar, G, which isinterposed between said bolt and the bottom of one leg of the clamp B, asimilar bar, H, being interposed between the opposite bolt and thebottom of the other leg of the clamp. (See Fig. l.) The (No model.)

bar G has a bent end, b, in which is an opening forming a bearing forthe spindle dof the plate J, the latter being forked, so as to form twobearings, f f, for the roller-spindle D, and having near each end arecess, h, for the receptionof the lower end of a spring, g, of rubberor other suitable elastic material, the npper ends of the springs beingadapted to sockets K, bolted, riveted, or otherwise secured to theopposite sides of the clamp B. As each spring is thus laterally confinedat each end, accidental displacement of said springs is prevented.

The plate J and its spindle are arranged at such an angle to theroller-spindle D as to permit the desired compound swing oftherollerspindle-that is to say, when pressure is exerted upon the rolleron one side of the skate and an upward movement is imparted to the endof the spindle carrying said roller, there will be at the same time aforward movement of that end of the roller-spindle, so as to permit theskates to travel in a curve.

The roller-spindle has a central bearing in a box, i, forming part ofthe bar H, and in order to permit the necessary swing of theroller-spindle this box has conical flares extending from the center ofthe box to each side of the same. This additional bearing for theroller-spindle serves to relieve the pivot-spindle d of the plate J froma portion of the strain which would otherwise be exerted upon saidspindle.

The bearing@ is so constructed as to bear upon the bottom of the runnerA of the skate, so that there can be no vertical spring of the center ofthe roller-spindle in the event of excessive pressure upon the skate.

The clamp B may, if desired, be made of cast-steel or malleable iron,and in such case the bearing and plate b may be cast with the clamp; butit is preferred to form the clamp by bending and to provide separatebars carrying the bearings t' and b, as the parts can in such case bestruck up by suitable dies out of sheet metal, and the manufacture ofthe attachment is facilitated.

I claim as my inventionm l. The combination of a clamp adapted to therunner of an ice-skate, a pivoted plate, J,

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carrying bearings for the roller-spindle, sockets K, secured to theopposite sides .of the clamp, and springs g, contained in said sookets,and bearing upon the plate J near itsvopposite ends, as set forth.

2. The combination of the clamp, the rollerspindle, the springs g, thesoeketsxK, and the bearing-plate J, having recesses h for the springs,as set forth.

3. The combination of the roller-spindle, a xed central bearing thereforhaving opposite conical flares, and a pivoted plate, J, having bearingsfor the spindle on each side of said central bearing, as specified.

4. The Within-described clamp, having opposite wings for embracing therunner of a skate, and a Central recess for the reception of aroller-spindle and its bearings, as specified.-

5. The combination of a clamp adapted to the runner of an ice-skate, apivoted plate, J, having bearings for aroller-spindle, a bar, G, havinga bearing for the pivot of said plate, and a bar, H, carrying a centralbearing for the roller-spindle, as specified.

6. The combination of a clamp adapted to the runner of an ice-skate, apivoted bearingp'late, a bar, G, having a bearing for the pivot of saidplate, a bar, H, having a central bearing for the spindle, and bolts F,whereby the clamp is secured to the runner and the bars G and H securedto the clamp, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeieation in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Y THOS. S. DISSTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY BossERT, HARRY SMITH.

